“President Joe Biden pledged to double the maximum Pell Grant by 2029, but his recent debt ceiling deal is seemingly at odds with that plan. Biden’s deal struck with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy places spending caps on discretionary spending for fiscal years 2024 and 2025. Factoring in projected inflation over the next two years, the ...

WASHINGTON – Higher Learning Advocates (HLA) released a statement in response to the U.S. Department of Education’s recent release of their proposed Gainful Employment Rule.  “Transparency and accountability are pivotal to ensure today’s students finish a program of study financially better off than when they started.  Higher Learning...

Executive Director Julie Peller is included in the Education section of Washingtonian’s Washington DC’s 500 Most Influential People list. The feature includes experts and advocates outside the government who are playing big roles in Washington, D.C.’s policy debates. Julie is recognized for her years of experience on Capitol Hill and helping ...

Measuring ROI in Higher Education “In this episode, Dr. Jason Altmire talks with Julie Peller of Higher Learning Advocates about accountability, ROI in higher education, and the future of the for-profit sector. Julie Peller is the Executive Director of Higher Learning Advocates. She also served as the Deputy Staff Director for the House C...

SAP Requirements Create Barriers to Underserved Students “The brief examines how current SAP policies can be confusing for many students, such as those who are new to college and arrive academically underprepared, do not receive proper advising, or face unexpected life challenges. Institutions can create their own SAP requirements, but at min...

WASHINGTON – A satisfactory academic progress, or SAP, reset can make college more affordable for low-income Americans, especially the 39 million with some college and no credential (SCNC) population, according to a new higher education policy brief by nonprofit Higher Learning Advocates (HLA). The brief, “Satisfactory Academic Progress: M...

WASHINGTON – Higher Learning Advocates (HLA) released a statement in response to the unprecedented support for today’s students from the Administration demonstrated in the release of President Biden’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2024 today. “This is such an exciting development that recognizes in order for students to succeed, we must l...

“Representative Virginia Foxx is planning to leverage the decline in public perception of higher education to usher in a new era of stronger accountability for the nation’s colleges and universities in her role as chairwoman of the House education committee. This is ‘exactly the right time’ to reauthorize the Higher Education Act of 196...

“If officials at the U.S. Department of Education hoped the ‘listening sessions’ they arranged this week would provide consensus on whether to stop letting colleges pay outside companies a share of tuition revenue when they help recruit students, they were surely disappointed. Like just about every policy discussion in Washington these da...

“Listen in as state and federal policy experts weigh in on the major themes from 2022 and expectations for 2023. Julie Peller from Higher Learning Advocates walks through the major movements at the federal level and Paola Santana from Lumina Foundation discusses state-level priorities for the upcoming year. Catch up with state leaders from Ar...

“Does the possible sale of the University of Phoenix to a public university system signal the demise of the for-profit higher education sector that Phoenix once epitomized? This week’s episode of The Key analyzes the implications of recent news that a nonprofit affiliated with the University of Arkansas system might buy the former giant among ...

“Higher education is currently forcing many adult learners to jump through hoops to complete their degrees. Although many of these nontraditional students can be successful, colleges and universities should still meet adult learners where they are, as higher ed faces dwindling enrollment and a workforce that is relying less on employees with four...